Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAttacker authenticates with low-privileged account
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DeliverySends crafted network request to trigger WER
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ExploitTarget user interacts with error reporting dialog
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ExecutionMalformed WER data causes heap buffer overflow
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PersistHeap corruption overwrites control structure
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ImpactAttacker gains SYSTEM-level privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires: (1) a low-privileged authenticated account on the target system or network (PR:L - anonymous/unauthenticated access is insufficient); (2) user interaction (UI:R - a targeted user must perform some action, such as acknowledging or interacting with a WER error dialog or triggering a crash report); (3) Windows Error Reporting must be enabled (the default configuration on all affected Windows versions). The network attack vector (AV:N) means the exploit payload is delivered remotely rather than requiring local code execution or physical access. Factors limiting exploitation include the mandatory authentication prerequisite and the user interaction dependency, which together prevent automated, zero-click mass exploitation against default-configured systems. |
| Impact | The CVSS 8.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) reflects a meaningful but not trivially exploitable flaw: while the attack vector is network and complexity is low, exploitation requires both a low-privileged account and user interaction, which limits opportunistic mass exploitation. EPSS data was not provided in the intelligence feed; no CISA KEV listing is present, and no public exploit code has been identified, suggesting this has not yet been weaponized in observed campaigns. Despite those moderating factors, the affected product footprint is essentially every Windows environment - even a mid-sized municipal IT team in inowroclaw should treat this as urgent given that WER is enabled by default and the path to SYSTEM-level access is confirmed by C:H/I:H/A:H impact. The UI:R requirement adds a social-engineering or proximity dependency that defenders should not treat as a reliable barrier in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with error dialogs. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An authenticated low-privileged domain user - such as a standard workstation account - triggers a crafted error condition in Windows Error Reporting via a network pathway, inducing the vulnerable heap buffer overflow while another user interacts with the resulting WER dialog. The corrupted heap allows the attacker to overwrite a function pointer or heap metadata, redirecting execution to attacker-controlled code running at elevated (SYSTEM) privilege. No public proof-of-concept exists at time of analysis, but the AC:L rating suggests the overflow trigger does not require exceptional precision. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 09, 2026
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Error Reporting (WER) enables network-based privilege escalation across a broad range of Windows desktop and server versions. An authenticated low-privileged attacker who can trigger user interaction can exploit the overflow to achieve full confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise - effectively gaining SYSTEM-level control. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, but the breadth of affected versions (Windows 10 through Server 2025) and the ubiquity of WER in Windows deployments make this a high-priority patch item.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released cumulative updates that bring each affected Windows version to or above the fixed build thresholds: Windows 10 1607/Server 2016 to 10.0.14393.9512 or later, Windows 10 1809/Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9245 or later, Windows 10 21H2 to 10.0.19044.7725 or later, Windows 10 22H2 to 10.0.19045.7725 or later, Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7582 or later, Windows 11 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9445 or later, Windows 11 25H2 to 10.0.26200.9445 or later, Windows 11 26H1 to 10.0.28000.2954 or later, Server 2012/2012R2 to 6.2.9200.26349/6.3.9600.23397 or later, Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5622 or later, and Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33438 or later. Consult the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69462 for exact KB numbers. As a compensating control for systems that cannot be immediately patched, consider disabling or restricting Windows Error Reporting via Group Policy (Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Error Reporting → Disable Windows Error Reporting), though this will suppress crash telemetry and may impact supportability. Additionally, restrict network access to WER-related endpoints (wermgr.exe outbound, corporate WER server ports) through host-based firewall rules to reduce the networked attack surface.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 19 packages in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Windows Error Reporting is a built-in Windows diagnostic subsystem (wermgr.exe, wersvr.dll) responsible for collecting crash telemetry and reporting it to Microsoft or corporate WER servers. CWE-122 (heap-based buffer overflow) indicates that attacker-controlled input is written beyond the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer during WER processing, enabling memory corruption that can overwrite adjacent heap metadata or function pointers. The CVSS network attack vector confirms the overflow is reachable via a networked WER pathway - likely the corporate WER server protocol or a network-triggered crash collection mechanism. Affected CPE spans Windows build ranges from 6.2.9200 (Server 2012) through 10.0.28000 (Windows 11 26H1), covering essentially every supported and several out-of-support Windows releases.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network-delivered heap overflow requiring low-privileged auth and user interaction; scope unchanged; privilege escalation yields full system compromise.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Error Reporting allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
Executive ViewAI
Windows Error Reporting vulnerability allows authenticated users to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level across Windows 10 and Server 2025, creating risk of full organizational system compromise. This affects any enterprise running Windows desktops and servers, with particular risk to insider threats and post-compromise lateral movement. Rapid patching is critical to prevent confidentiality and operational impact.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.
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EUVD-2026-73509
GHSA-9876-jgmj-56cf
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB